Heartbeat
by animelover610
Summary: 'You are not a monster, Rin. Happy Valentine's Day.' From, Your Guardian Angel and Secret Admirer RinxOC
1. Stakeout

**A/N**: Yay! New story! I didn't know if I should post this yet or not, but I did anyways. Just cause it's Valentine's Day and I could. I'll put more info about it in the next chapter's author note. There's gonna be a slight change in the timeline.

Enjoy!

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><p>"Riiiiiiiin, what are we doing here? It's lunchtime. Let's go get some fooooood," Shima whined, slouching in his spot behind the wall that the group (Shima, Rin, Yukio, Ryuji, Konekomaru, and Shiemi) was hiding behind.<p>

"Shh! I didn't ask you guys to follow me! You'll blow my cover," Rin whispered harshly, clamping his hand over Shima's mouth and checking the shoe lockers that were around the corner.

Yukio adjusted his glasses and asked, "What are you doing here anyways, nii-san? You aren't going to cause trouble, are you?" [1]

Rin sighed, peeking around the corner once more before returning his attention back to the group. "You know what today is, right?"

Shima nodded enthusiastically, a perverted grin spreading across his face. "Of course! It's Valentine's Day! A day where I'll get showered with affection from _beautiful_ ladies~!"

Rin rolled his eyes at the last bit. "Riiiiight…"

"Is this because of the anonymous box of chocolate you get every year?" Yukio asked, a knowing look on his face. His question caught everyone's attention.

"Oooo~! Rin's got a secret admirer? Do tell," Shima cooed, poking Rin's cheek a couple of times.

Rin got flustered and swatted Shima's hand away. "I-it's not like that! I just wanna know who it is!"

Seeing that Rin wasn't going to explain, Yukio decided to speak up. "Every year since kindergarten, Rin has received a box of chocolate with a note from a 'secret admirer'. Rin always found the chocolate in his shoe locker, even if it was locked. And when Valentine's Day didn't fall on a school day, the box of chocolate would be on our front door. Rin always failed when he tried to find out who his secret admirer was. But how can you be certain that this person even goes here, nii-san? After all, True Cross Academy is hard to get into."

"I'm _**not**_ sure," Rin replied glumly. "But I have a feeling that she is. And this time I'll catch her!" With that, Rin continued to watch his shoe locker.

Not even 5 minutes later, Rin heard soft footsteps slowly approaching. He waved his hand to quiet his chattering friends and motioned to the lockers, completely focused on the approaching person.

A girl with brown hair and a pink winter scarf wrapped around her neck was walking down the hall. Her chocolate brown eyes scanned the halls before cautiously heading to Rin's shoe locker, a black and tan Shiba Inu puppy following shortly behind her.

"Come on Shadow, we need to hurry or we won't get to enjoy lunch," the girl whispered, shushing the dog when he barked loudly in response.

"Which one is his?" She asked Shadow. The puppy wagged his tail and ambled towards the lockers, nose to the ground. He barked and jumped when he was close to Rin's locker. Seeming to get the dog's message, the girl picked him up and walked down the aisle of lockers, stopping in front of Rin's when Shadow barked and waved his paw at the locker door.

"Good boy, Shadow! You get extra treats today," the girl cooed, putting the puppy back on the ground and laughing when Shadow seemed to do a victory dance.

"Okay, now I just have to figure out how to open this." The girl clutched the lock and took a deep breath, closing her eyes. She was still for a few moments and then slowly began to twist the dial. She jumped slightly when the lock clicked open.

The girl pumped her fist in the air briefly and then dug through her bag, pulling out a box of chocolates. She placed them in and closed the locker.

"Come on, Shadow. Let's go before someone finds us," the girl said, turning to walk back the way she came.

Rin wasn't going to let this opportunity go by. As soon as the girl turned away from him, he dashed out from his hiding spot and ran across the empty courtyard. "HEY YOU! WAIT!"

Rin heard the girl gasp and saw her tense up. Not even a moment later, she ran as fast as she could down the hallway without even taking glance back, Shadow running alongside her.

"I. Said. WAIT!" Rin growled. When he got close enough to her, Rin launched himself at her, tackling her to the ground.

"KYAAA! Get off of me, you pervert!" Rin was too busy with the girl to notice the black blur flying towards his head.

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><p>[1] Nii-san = Brother<p> 


	2. Caught

**A/N: **So about the change I mentioned in the last author's note. As you might know, the school year in Japan begins in April and ends in March with 3 breaks during the spring, summer, and winter. And because Valentine's Day would not be until the end of their first year, I'm skipping it up to there, but having it so that everything they found out during the summer camping trip is pushed back a year. If my explanation is confusing, let me know and I'll try to reword it.

Also, thank you guys so much for the reviews! They really get me motivated. And please excuse it if the chapters sometimes seem a bit weird. I write them during my Chemistry and Calculus classes since I'm too advanced right now while I have to pretend to pay attention.

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><p>Everyone stared in silence as Shadow pounced. His sharp canines and claws clamped down on Rin's head. The reaction was instantaneous.<p>

Rin let out a loud yowl of pain, leaping to his feet and running around frantically. "Ahhhhhh! Get him off! GET HIM OFF!"

The girl scrambled to her feet as soon as she was free and patted down her skirt. "Yeah! Get him, Shadow! Show that perv who's boss," the girl cheered, pumping her fist in the air.

The entire scene was rather comical. Shima and Ryuji were laughing heartily at Rin's misfortune while Shiemi and Konekomaru chased after Rin, trying to get him to stop running so they could help. Yukio sighed and approach the brown-haired girl.

"Excuse me miss. I'm afraid this is all a misunderstanding," he said.

The girl's eyes lit up with recognition when she saw who was speaking to her. "Oh! You're the class representative! It's an honor to finally meet you in person Okamura-san," she said, bowing deeply. "My name is Himawari Misaki. And the cute Shiba gnawing on that pervert's head over there is Shadow."

A sweat drop ran down Yukio's head at the blatant distaste and mockery in her cheerful voice. "Yes, about that," Yukio began, "I apologize for nii-san's rudeness, but he did not attack you with perverse intentions. Nii-san only intended to find out who his secret admirer was after all these years. He's failed all of his attempts thus far so he got a bit overexcited when he finally caught you."

"Oh…" Misaki blinked, the information slowly sinking in. "Oh! That's Rin? Shadow, down boy!"

Shadow let go of Rin's head after a moment of hesitation, giving one last chomp before he detached himself. He ran up to Misaki, tail wagging proudly, and gave her a cute bark.

"Shadow! You knew that he was Rin, didn't you? And that he was watching this whole time," Misaki accused, holding Shadow up in front of her.

Shadow continued wagging his tail, licking her cheek and barking cutely.

"Don't you play innocent with me! You are _not _'too cute to punish'. No extra treats for you tonight."

Shadow let out a low whine as Misaki put him down and turned to face Rin, who was being tended to by Shiemi.

"What the hell is wrong with that dog? It's a freakin' demon!" Rin roared, glaring at the Shiba, who countered with what Rin interpreted to be a mocking smirk. [1]

"In Shadow's defense, you attacked me first. It's only right that my ever-so-loyal companion defends me in such situations."

"Whatever," Rin huffed indignantly.

With the chaos no longer distracting her, Misaki suddenly realized that she was caught and froze. '_Oh crap…_'

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><p>[1] Oh the irony...<p> 


	3. Meaning

**A/N: **So, one of my reviewers brings up a good point. The reason Misaki didn't know it was Rin chasing her was simply because she didn't look at who was chasing her (mentioned near bottom of the first chapter). And because Rin tackled her from behind while she was facing away from him, she landed face down and didn't see him then as well. By the time she could actually see him when she got up, Rin was already running around frantically and therefore hard to identify (imagine a large blur running back and forth).

Also, from what I've read/watched thus far, Rin appeared to be, well…rather anti-social and a bit less talkative during his middle school years and even seemed to skip school. So that, coupled with the fact that she wasn't always placed in the same class as Rin, caused her to not really remember the sound of his voice.

In fact, she isn't in the same class as Rin during this first year of high school either, as mentioned in this chapter. Sorry I didn't make that very clear in the last couple chapters. I hope I managed to clarify it.

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><p>"U-um, I've got to go buy my lunch before lunch is over," Misaki stuttered, starting to back away slowly to make her escape.<p>

Rin suddenly pointed at Misaki, an accusing glare settling on his face. "So _**you're**_ the one who's been giving me chocolates all these years!"

"Yeah…it was me," Misaki sighed, plopping down on the ground. She figured that it would be pointless to try to escape at this point. She still couldn't believe that she was caught by the very person she **didn't** want to be caught by.

Shadow sensed her distress and lightly pawed at her face. Misaki knew that was Shadow's way of telling her to cheer up. "Thanks," she whispered in his ear, scratching his ear affectionately.

Rin leaned in close to Misaki's face, as if inspecting her. "Hey…I've seen you before somewhere," he said slowly. Misaki squirmed uncomfortably at the close proximity of his face to her's, so Shadow made a swipe at Rin's face to force him to back away. A light bulb seemed to go off as he did. "I saw you at the old geezer's funeral!"

"Old geezer? Are you talking about Fujimoto-san?" Misaki blinked, tilting her head to the side. Shadow, who was in her arms, copied this motion.

"Yes. I do remember seeing you there. How did you know father?" Yukio questioned, crossing his arms.

"Well, my grandmother was an old friend of his. We came to pay our respect," Misaki began, a fond smile spreading across her face."Fujimoto-san always played with me whenever he came to visit when I was little, though it was only a few times a year. It was sad to hear that he passed away so suddenly. He seemed so healthy the last time I saw him. Grandmother even told me he had stopped smoking for over 15 years and..."

Misaki snapped her mouth shut when she realized she was babbling. "Ah! I was rambling! I'm sorry."

"It's alright. It's nice to see someone who respected father so much," Yukio smiled, "You could learn a thing or two from her, nii-san."

Rin scoffed as a loud rumble cut off his snappy retort. Everyone turned toward the blushing girl at the center of the semicircle the group seemed to form.

"S-sorry. I haven't bought my lunch yet," she mumbled, wrapping her arms around her stomach, a blush adorning her cheeks.

"We should probably go get some lunch now. We have a little less than 25 minutes left," Ryuji stated, glancing at a clock and walking to the cafeteria with Konekomaru and Shima.

Shiemi took Misaki's hands in her own and looked at her with sparkling eyes before Misaki could even blink. "You should have lunch with us today! Please? It'll be fun!"

Misaki was powerless against the girl's puppy dog eyes, something she had long thought she'd grown immune to after having Shadow around as long as she had. "S-sure. I was going to eat by myself today since my friends are spending lunch with their boyfriends' today. I'd be nice not having to be alone."

"Yay! We'll wait for you at the fountain," Shiemi cheered, latching onto Yukio's arm and dragging him off to the aforementioned area. [1]

Misaki let Shadow down and started walking to the cafeteria, only to be stopped again by Rin.

He gently grabbed her wrist and held the chocolates in his other hand. His eyes were downcast and his head was turned away from her. "What you say in the note every year…do you…really mean it?" Rin asked quietly.

Her eyes automatically shifted to the note attached to the box.

_'You are not a monster, Rin. Happy Valentine's Day.'_

_ From,_  
><em> Your Guardian Angel and Secret Admirer<br>_

Misaki knew he was referring to the reason she wrote it. Even Rin could connect the fact that he'd started getting the chocolates after the incident. She was in his kindergarten class. In fact, she was in the same rabbit group as him. She was there when the other kids were calling him a monster, the day when he snapped.

A smile worked its way on her face as she pulled out of his grip and surprised him by pulling him into a quick hug. "Of course I do," she whispered, just loud enough for him to hear. When she stepped back, she reached up and lightly bopped him on the head. "And don't ever think otherwise! Got it?" Misaki looked up at him with a cheeky grin on her face.

Rin couldn't help but smile in response. "Thanks…I'll see you in a little bit."

Misaki nodded and finally headed to the cafeteria to get her lunch, not noticing Rin watch her walk away with the sad smile on his face.

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><p>[1] I recall that Shiemi said she didn't go to the regular school, but I figured that she would occasionally join the boys for lunch. I'll double check on this just in case though.<p> 


	4. Silence

**A/N: **Short chapter is short. But I really wanted to write this chapter, no matter how short it is.

Also, I just wanted to mention that this story is not just going to be a Valentine's Day/White Day fanfic. It's just the starting point. It'll be going in the direction of the manga.

P.S. To any Whovians reading this, I **did** name the chapter after the Silence...cause I couldn't think of a title...

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><p>"Does she know?" Rin suddenly asked, lying face down in his bed.<p>

Yukio glanced at Rin's motionless form before continuing his work. "You're talking about Himawari-san, right?" He received no reply so he assumed he was correct. "No. She's doesn't know anything of our world. She didn't even seem to notice the coal tars floating about the courtyard."

Yukio heard Rin take a breath to say something else but cut in before he could. "And before you ask, I don't believe that her grandmother is either. You heard Himawari-san at lunch; her grandmother is a famous novelist and owner of a high class restaurant chain. Father never mentioned anything about her being in the same line of business as us. It's true she was a friend of father, but not all of his friends were involved in the Exorcist world, nii-san."

Rin sighed in relief and flipped over with a small smile. "Good. Someone as nice as Misa-chan shouldn't have to be in this kind of world."

But his smile was quickly washed away. "I can't help but wonder how fast she'll take back what she said in the note if she ever found out about who I am," he murmured, hiding his eyes under the crook of his elbow.

Yukio stopped what he was doing. He wanted to say "She wouldn't do that" or "You don't know that" but they both knew that Rin's prediction was right. Anyone would react negatively if they found out that someone was a demon, especially the son of Satan himself.

The two spent the rest of the evening in silence.


	5. Friends

**A/N: **Has anyone else noticed how in anime, friends and group are usually in threes? Like the freshman trio in Prince of Tennis. Or the genin teams in Naruto.

Oh the irony of me finishing editing and posting this on White Day.

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><p><p>

"Minami-chan! Hanako-chan! Wait for me!" Misaki placed her hands on her knees and caught her breath. Shadow skidded to a stop beside her shortly after.

"I-I wanted…to see if…you wanted to have lunch with another group…instead of just us three," Misaki panted.

Hanako and Minami looked at her curiously. They glanced at each other and shrugged simultaneously. "Sure."

"The boys are having guy time anyways," Hanako added, "They hit right off on our double date on Valentine's Day. There was so much bromance; it was suffocating! And that was only three days ago! It's gotten worse!" Hanako waved her arms frantically to emphasize her point.

Misaki laughed as they made their way to the fountain. "What? Afraid your boyfriend is gonna cheat on you with Kenta?" Misaki teased. "And you're being awfully quiet, Minami-chan. You're not having one of your _yaoi_ fantasies now, are you?" She poked playfully at Minami's side.

The lavender-haired girl let out an indignant squeal and squirmed away with a blush on her face. "N-no! I wasn't," she shouted, her voice cracking.

"And there you have it! Minami the yaoi fangirl strikes again," Misaki and Hanako announced, dashing towards the fountain before Minami could strangle them.

"What's yaoi?" Shiemi asked curiously as Misaki approached her.

"Nothing that your innocent mind should learn of, my dear~," Misaki snickered, patting Shiemi's head gently.

Shadow whined, jumping up on the fountain ledge beside Shiemi, and waved his paw at Misaki.

Misaki smiled and pat Shadow's head as well. "You are such a baby, you know that." Shadow merely wagged his tail happily in reply.

"I've been wondering. I thought no pets were allowed on campus. So how come none of the teachers have asked you to leave your dog at home?" Ryuji questioned, glancing at Shadow.

Misaki opened her mouth to reply but Hanako beat her to it. "Misa-chan's granny is _reeeeaaaaally _scary and persuasive sometimes. She came with Misa-chan during the freshman orientation and totally told off the administration when they said Shadow wasn't allowed in. From then on, the teachers never bothered trying to stop Shadow from coming on campus," she explained enthusiastically.

Misaki sat down beside Shiemi and took Shadow into her arms, smiling gently at the canine. "I named him Shadow because he really is like my shadow," she began. "Ever since I could remember, he's always trailed after me, no matter I went. I find it strange how he's never seemed to grow that much in all these years, but I suppose it's just a birth defect of some sort."

Shadow growled and nipped lightly at her fingers in protest.

"Hey! I never said it was a bad thing. At least with you this small, I can carry you around," Misaki reasoned, tapping his nose affectionately.

"Awwww~! Isn't it cute how close they are?" Hanako squealed, latching tightly onto Minami's arm and jumping up and down excitedly. Minami quickly peeled the bubbly red-head off before her circulation could be cut off.

"Oh yeah! Everyone, these are my friends and dorm mates Yamada Hanako and Minami. They're step-sisters, but I swear they sometimes act like they have twin telepathy! Hanako-chan, Minami-chan, these are the guys that ambushed me on Valentine's Day," Misaki stated cheerfully, introducing each person present.

"You're very blunt, aren't you?" Ryuji deadpanned. Everyone else in their group seemed to silently agree with his statement while Shima made his way towards the sisters.

"Man, I thought it was hot outside but you girls just proved me wrong," Shima smirked, eying them both and wrapping an arm around each of them.

Before Shima could even figure out what happened, Misaki swiftly jabbed him in the gut and tossed Shadow at him. Shadow anticipated this, smoothly landing on Shima's stomach when they hit the ground, and automatically went into attack mode.

"Didn't I already mention that they had boyfriends?" Misaki snarled, stepping protectively in front of her friends.

"That's our Misa-chan!" Hanako giggled, tackling Misaki in a hug. "And you and Shadow always seem to have that telepathy too! You didn't even have to tell him what to do!"

"That's because we've been together for so long that we just understand each other," Misaki huffed, holding her arms out. Shadow stopped chewing on Shima's ear and leapt into Misaki's waiting arms. "See?"

"Can we all just eat?" Rin shouted suddenly, catching everyone attention.

"U-um…s-sure, Okumura-kun," Misaki stammered. "Let me just go buy my lunch."

Rin caught her wrist before she could walk off. "No need. Here," he said, handing her a bento.

Misaki's jaw nearly dropped inelegantly. "You can cook?" She squawked.

Rin tried to cover his embarrassed blush at her reaction with a glare. "Yeah. What's wrong with that?"

Misaki realized that her words came out wrong and corrected herself. "Nothing! I think it's great. I've always thought that more guys should learn how to cook, instead of leaving it to the girls." She opened the bento and, with a quick thanks, dug in.

Her eyes lit up instantly. "Wow, Okumura-kun! This is amazing!"

Rin turned his head away to hide his red face. "Thanks…and I told you before to call me Rin," he muttered.

"Oh right. Thanks, Rin-kun."

Neither of them saw the mischievous grins on the Yamada sisters' faces.


	6. Girl Talk

**A/N:** So the two quotes I have in here were randomly found on the internet. I haven't read/watched either of them, but I liked the quotes and felt they fit rather well.

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><p>"I approve!"<p>

"W-what?"

Hanako tackled Misaki as soon as the three were back in their dorm, rubbing her cheek lovingly against Misaki's. Misaki shoved her off and tossed her bag onto her bed.

"Of Rin being your boyfriend, silly~!" The red-head let out a shrill squeal, forcing Shadow and Misaki to cringe and cover their ears. She shook her head in excitement with her hands on her cheeks.

Hanako sighed dreamily and continued before Misaki could get a word in. "Ah~, I can already see it. You and Rin are such a cute couple! But you're such a prude, so I can't say you'll be the best _lover _in b—"

"H-hey! I-it's not…I'm not li—"

Hanako cackled at the horrified expression on Misaki's face. "See! You are a prude! But don't worry. I can tell just by looking at him that Rin is the kind of guy who won't let go of what he cares about. And you're definitely on his list! So what if you two _technically_ just meet. Love works fast and-MMPH!"

"Though I agree with her idea for the most part, I'll have to disagree on this one point," Minami interrupted, silencing Hanako's babble with a hand over her mouth. "'Not many people know when love really starts... More than a friend, but not quite lovers. A delicate relationship like this changes gradually once it is noticed, and keeps on blossoming, just like the changing seasons.' The key words are 'delicate' and 'gradually', Hana." [1]

Hanako licked her sister's hand, making her pull away with a disgusted shriek. "Oh please. What? Did you get that from one of your yaoi manga?"

Minami blushed. Hanako must have hit the nail on the head. "No! But the principle still applies," she stammered. "Love is _not_ a fast process like you say, Hana. It takes quite a while. But as you say, these two have had that time. Although they were not speaking directly in that time, the contact was still there via Misa-chan's Valentine's notes. As cryptic as they are, I'm sure there's some deep meaning to it since Rin-san seemed very happy about it."

"Words shmurds. Who cares about that? It's all about action! And there's been enough of that in the couple days they've been in _**direct**_ contact," Hanako protested childishly.

"Again I have to disagree slightly. 'Words have their uses, but it's difficult to measure your companion's feelings with them. If it's someone you've known a long time, you can understand more than what their words say.' The few words in her notes have had such immense meaning that only those two could understand." [2] Minami noticed the glint in Hanako's eye that usually signaled that she was going to make a snappy remark. "And yes, this time it _was_ from a yaoi manga," she deadpanned.

Hanako pouted at not being able to point that out. "Whatever. We still agree that they're a cute couple, whatever our reasons are. Sooooo," she twirled around and posed with a thumbs up, "We approve!"

"Agreed."

"Guys," Misaki whined. "I appreciate your…advice and sentiments? But I'm not really concerned about being in a relationship. I'm content with how things are right now."

"Awww~! That's our ever independent Misa-chan," Hanako swooned. "But I still say you and Rin are a cute couple. You're just too hardheaded to realize it."

Misaki and Shadow playfully tackled the sisters, all of them falling to the ground. She tickled them while Shadow lightly pawed at them. "What was that? Who's hardheaded?"

"Y-you are!" Hanako laughed.

"Oh really?"

"Kyahahaha! I give up! I give up!" They finally submitted after a couple minutes.

When the three of them regained their breath, Misaki spoke again. "But really guys, I don't need to be in a relationship. I don't think I'd be able to handle it. And what's happening between Rin and I is nothing like you two are making it out to be. The note is just about an incident that happened years ago. I just wanted to let him know that not everyone is against him like it seemed to be, that he's not alone." Misaki helped the girls to their feet.

Hanako yawned obnoxiously, stretching and 'accidentally' hitting Misaki in the face. "Well I'm tired now and it's getting late and there's class tomorrow. I'm going to sleep. Oh! But I call the shower first!" Hanako ran into the bathroom as if someone was going to challenge her decision. Before she closed the door, she called Misaki, her features sobering up.

"Misa-chan, you can't keep living in the past. You have to move forward eventually. You've made a little progress over the years. After all, you've made friends with us. But you can't keep living in your closed off world. You've got to let others in. I don't want Misa-chan to be alone for the rest of her life." With that, the door shut.

"She's right, you know," Minami said after a few moments of silence.

"I know."

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><p>[1] Quote from <em>Boys Be…<em>

[2] Quote from _Kawaii Hito_


	7. Of Kidnappings and Loneliness

A shrill, squeal-like giggle was the only warning Misaki got before she was lifted off her bed and tossed over a shoulder. She could barely let out a surprised squeak and see a flash of red and the black hair of her captor before she was rushed around the campus, the scenery blurring around her as her captor ran.

Misaki held down her skirt, but she wasn't going down without a fight. She lashed out and kicked her captor in the face. There was a low groan and then a hand snaked over her legs to keep them down.

However, Misaki wasn't done yet. She took a deep breath, swung her torso to twist around as much as she could in her awkward position, and grasp tightly around her captor's neck with her free arm, effectively strangling him.

Her captor promptly dropped her, tugging her arm away as she fell, and gasped for breath. However, Misaki had no time to try to get away. Another pair of arms lifted her up bridal style and continued zipping across the school, letting out another shrill noise.

Misaki looked up, saw that it was Hanako, and rolled her eyes. Of course it'd be her. The person who had her earlier must have been Kenta. '_Hanako probably only brought him along knowing that I'd take him down. Poor Kenta._'

Misaki wasn't surprised that Hanako was strong enough to carry her either. She had always carried numerous heavy bags while going on her _**long**_shopping trip. It was obviously a workout. Misaki shuttered, remembering the three-day shopping spree Hanako had forced her to accompany her on, if only to help carry her bags. Kenta and Minami had been lucky enough to have had prior arrangement that week.

"Put me down Hanako-chan," Misaki sighed, "I don't feel like dealing with your crazy antics right now." She had just gone through a long day with three major exams in her few advanced classes. All she wanted to do was sleep away the headaches that were developing.

Without warning, Hanako threw Misaki into a room and slammed a door closed behind her. "What the hell, Hanako-chan?"

"Misa-chan?"

Misaki swiveled around, curious blue eyes meeting her own. "Rin? What are you doing here?"

"Well, you're kinda in my room, so…" He looked off to the side awkwardly.

"Oh…" Misaki shifted in her spot on the floor, eyes scanning the room briefly. Belatedly, her weary mind seemed to click. She was in _**Rin's**_ room. "Oh! I am so sorry! Hanako and her boyfriend kidnapped me from my dorm and just threw me in here! I-I'll leave right now!" Misaki practically lunged for the door, a light flush on her face. It was so rude of her to just invade someone else's privacy like this, even if it wasn't really her fault.

"Wait." A hand caught her wrist before she could open the door. "I'm actually the one that asked her to bring you here," Rin started, "Though I didn't really think she would literally **drag** you here."

"Yeah…she tends to take things to an extreme," Misaki tittered. "But what did you want to see me for?"

The awkward atmosphere turned somber at the question. Rin's expression fell, his bangs shadowing his eyes.

Misaki was surprised and concerned at the sudden change. She reached out to place a hand on his shoulder, but stopped when mumbled words left his lips.

"That note…why'd you write it? Why'd you keep giving me them?"

"Rin…" Misaki sighed. "I…I wrote them because you we're alone. After that incident, you avoided people and they avoided you. Even if someone would approach you, you would only push them away. There was no way I could even talk to you. I knew you wouldn't let me; you're just that stubborn," she teased. Rin pouted a little but said nothing, still choosing to avoid her concerned gaze.

"Like I said when I was interrogated by my friends, I just wanted you to know you're not alone. And I wanted to keep reminding you of that, so I gave you a reminder every year." Misaki paused, contemplating if she wanted to continue. A sad smile worked its way on her face. "Truthfully, I really didn't want you to know it was me. I figured things would get complicated if you ever knew. Father Fujimoto and my grandmother were actually the only ones who knew. And to be honest, this…was going to be the last year."

Rin's head snapped up, worry gleaming in his eyes. "What? Why? You're not dying, are you?" Rin panicked, rambling on with any possible reason he could think of.

Misaki brought her hands down onto his shoulders to make him stop. "It's nothing like that," she laughed. "It's just...well…you've made friends of your own. You don't really need me anymore." The sad smile reappeared. "I was hoping that I would be able to just fade away…but you caught me red-handed. It's not going to be as easy now that you know who your 'Guardian Angel' is."

"What if…I don't want you to disappear…?" The timid question was whispered so quietly that Misaki almost didn't hear it.

Misaki couldn't say she was surprised though. This was exactly why she _**did not**_ want to be caught. Breaking this bond of sorts would be exceedingly difficult now; Rin certainly wasn't going to let her go, at least not without a fuss.

"Rin–"

"What if I don't want you to just up and leave? I might not know you like your friends do, but I feel like I sorta do. And I **do** wanna get to know the girl that's been looking out for me all these years." Determination blazed in his sapphire eyes, making Misaki feel bad for having to turn him down.

"I don't…" Misaki paused, biting her lip as Hanako's words from the night before came back to her. She was right. Misaki couldn't keep living in her own little world, pushing everyone else away. Humans can't survive on their own. They need to establish bonds, feel attachments to others, lest they be driven into madness. Loneliness was an awful feeling.

With new vigor, Misaki forced a smile. "I'll try. For you, I'll try." Upon seeing Rin's confusion, she continued, "I won't leave. I'll try to let you into my world. Try to keep up."

Rin nodded happily, accepting her challenge.

'_Maybe it won't be so hard. Maybe I can do this._'

**[Extended Ending]**

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Misaki said suddenly, confusing Rin when she turned to look at his door.

Rin jumped in surprise when Misaki spun around and landed a back kick on the center of the door. A startled yelp was heard with a matching grunt. Misaki swung the door open as soon as her foot touched the floor again, causing two bodies to fall onto the floor before her.

"Hanako-chan, Kenta-kun. Nice to see you," she said with cheerily. Then her smile shifted to a cold frown, her eyes settling into an icy glare. "What have you done to Shadow?"

Hanako quickly grabbed something behind her. She got onto her knees and bowed low, offering Misaki a medium-sized cardboard box, terrified apologies spilling from her trembling lips.

Misaki could hear something scratching at the box inside. She snatched the box from the sobbing girl and opened it. Shadow leapt from the box and, following Misaki's silent command, attacked the couple that had abducted her and trapped him.

Rin, having been ignored during the exchange, felt a shiver crawl down his spine. He was glad that he wasn't on the receiving end of Shadow's assault again.


	8. Oh, the Horror!

Misaki had always been a thrill seeker. The rush of adrenaline, whether from fear or excitement, was something she greatly enjoyed and eagerly welcomed. And so, with finals quickly approaching, Misaki thought holding a school-wide horror film festival would be a good way to "relax" before all the stress of finals. Principal Faust gave his wholehearted approval for the idea, happily granting Misaki use of the humongous auditorium to host the festival. [1]

So, with a small box full of horror DVDs from hers and her grandmother's personal collection, Misaki skipped into the auditorium from the backstage entrance. She was certainly surprised to see a little under three-fourths of the auditorium filled with students eagerly waiting for the festival to begin, especially with the festival being scheduled to last all night.

"Wow." Her voiced surprise into the microphone caught everyone's attention, the loud chattering in the room slowly dying down to a dull roar. "I didn't actually think this many people would show up to a 13-hour horror film festival at 6 PM. However, I'm not complaining; this is amazing! Maybe I will have the chance to make this an annual event."

The suggestion was met with a wave of cheers, so Misaki made a mental note to propose the idea to Principal Faust.

"Before we can begin, I am required to make an announcement of sorts." Misaki listed the content warnings and ratings of the various movies. "… So if you have some hesitation about watching these films and/or you are faint of heart, it is recommended that you do not stay. This is especially advised because I haven't watched a couple of these films, so I honestly don't know what to expect."

Misaki waited a minute to see if anyone was going to leave. Upon seeing no one move, she continued to speak. "If everyone is okay with that, then I will give a brief summary of what I have in store for you tonight. I brought films that are not as well known so that there is less of a chance that you have already seen them. I have two Japanese films, two American films, two Korean films, and one Chinese film.

"All of the foreign films will, of course, have subtitles. As I mentioned before, I have not watched two of these films, specifically the Chinese one and one of the American ones. However, I have been assured from a very reliable source that they are most definitely amazing horror films, so please look forward to them. Without further ado, let the horror film festival begin!" Misaki started a film and sat with her friends in the front row.

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><p>By the end of the thirteen hour period, Misaki was absolutely certain she had lost all feeling in both of her arms. "Hanako, Minami, could you please let go? I need to go up to the stage and make closing remarks." The two girls didn't move, both still staring up in fear at the screen. Misaki sighed and yanked her arms free, shaking them around to restore blood flow as she walked to the stage.<p>

"I'll make this quick since we're all tired and want to enjoy our day off. I hope you enjoyed yourselves. Hopefully I can receive permission to have this event again next year. I thank you for coming. Have a wonderful rest of the day!"

Misaki waited patiently for everyone to clear out before she started cleaning up. "You two can go back to the dorms without me. I promised Principal Faust that I would clean up after my event, so I will probably be here for a while. I'll meet you later for lunch, if you're still awake then, alright?" Misaki said when the girls approached her, tossing an empty candy box into one of the trash bags she brought.

"No way! We're not going back to the dorm without our big, strong Misa-chan there to protect us from the scary monsters!" Hanako cried, clinging tightly to Misaki's free arm.

Minami shakily nodded, looking a lot more disheveled and tired than Hanako. "We'll just stay here and help you clean. It'll get done faster with the three of us."

"That is not necessary. I couldn't possibly ask for your help me. You're both clearly in need of sleep. I'll send Shadow with you; he'll be more than enough protection from the 'scary monsters.'" Shadow barked in acknowledgment and proudly held his head high at the praise.

"Sure~. Send us off with the puppy I easily trapped in a box. He's _**loads **_of protection," Hanako scoffed, glaring sleepily at said dog when she recalled what happened later that day. Shadow leered right back.

"Monsters… don't exist…" Misaki mumbled, petting Shadow comfortingly. It was then she noticed four people still in the auditorium, walking towards the three girls.

"Rin-kun, Moriyama-san, Okumura-san, Shima-san," Misaki greeted, briefly bowing her head respectfully. "What are you all still doing here?"

"Well… I was waiting for you, but it looks like you won't be leaving anytime soon," Rin grinned, rubbing the back of his head bashfully. "Need some help?"

Misaki quickly shook her head. "As I was telling Hanako and Minami, I can handle this on my own. However, they need someone to walk them back to our dorm. Do you mi—"

"I _**said**_ we're helping you and you can't make me leave! Misa-chan's the only one I'll let protect me from scary monsters… aside from Ken~ !" Hanako chirped with a wink.

Misaki let out a heavy sigh. She realized arguing with the loud girl was pointless, so she pulled the other trash bags she had brought out from her box. "I only have two other bags."

A shiver crawled down her spine when Minami and Hanako shared a devious glance and snatched the bags from her hand. Hanako handed one to Shiemi and Yukio, shoving them in one direction. Both girls gave Misaki a wink before dragging a very happy Shima with them.

Misaki closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. "You know, sometimes I wonder in Minami is bipolar or just secretly a mischievous demon in disguise." At that, Rin jolted slightly, something that didn't escape Misaki's notice.

"Is something wrong, Rin-kun?"

"I-it's nothing." Rin looked away and started collecting the trash. The two worked in silence for a few moments.

"You have really good friends," Rin said suddenly, not meeting Misaki's curious gaze.

"I know." Misaki's lips curved into a small, caring smile. "They're not really _**that**_ scared. They've handled my other horror film marathons well enough before. They just wanted to make an excuse to stay and help me. They also don't truly enjoy horror movies, but they stayed up all night with me anyways just to support me." Misaki looked at the two girls, who were laughing at something Shima said. "They are always looking out for me. I couldn't ask for better friends."

Rin stared at the brown-haired girl for a moment. She had such a loving expression on her face. Her eyes shined with a light he had seen when she had spoken of Father Fujimoto and Shadow. He wanted to cause that light to shine too.

Rin placed a hand on her shoulder, effectively regaining her attention. "If you ever need me, just let me know. I'll be there for you, too."

Misaki was slightly startled by the sudden declaration, but smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Rin-kun. I'll be su—" She was interrupted by her cell phone going off. The ringtone, a theme from one of her favorite horror films, told her that it was her grandmother calling. Misaki immediately dug the device out from her jacket's pocket and answered.

"Hello Grandmother," Misaki greeted, walking a short distance away from Rin as she listened to her guardian.

Rin sulked over the mood being ruined, pouting and scuffing his shoes against the floor. Misaki's shriek caused him to turn his attention to the distressed girl.

"What?!"

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><p>[1] Recall the Mephisto uses the name Johann Faust V in public. Only exorcists know his real name.<p> 


	9. A Sign of Change

**A/N**: I've edited this chapter at least 40 times, but I felt really bad for not updating for such a long time.

It was originally longer, but I decided to cut off a part of it and use it as the next chapter instead.

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><p>"What?!"<p>

Hanako, Minami, and Shadow immediately rushed to Misaki's side, worried eyes following the brown-eyed girl as she paced back and forth.

"What happened?" Questions flew rapidly from Misaki's lips. After a few minutes, she suddenly stopped pacing, a pensive look on her face. She glanced at Rin for a moment. "I think I have an idea. It's not the best, but it's all we've got on such short notice." Misaki stared at Rin once more as she listened intently to the person on the other side. The boy squirmed under her intense gaze.

After another minute of answering questions, Misaki ended the call and glanced around at the concerned looks of those around her. "Sorry for losing my composure and worrying you, but I really must get this room clean within twenty minutes. My ride will be here by then." Misaki turned her attention to the blue-eyed boy across from her. "Rin-kun, I need to ask a _**really**_ big favor of you."

"What's going on Misa-chan? Don't leave us in the dark!" Hanako protested, Minami making a sound of agreement as Hanako tugged on her arm impatiently.

"My grandmother is in a bit of a pinch right now. The head cook is having her baby. Her husband, another cook, is taking care of her. One of our part-timers has a full day of classes at the university today and can't make it to work. Four of our servers went out to dinner together yesterday, three of which called in sick due to food poisoning, so we're assuming the last has it as well since he won't answer his phone.

"Even with calling in those who have the day off, the kitchen is still understaffed. And today is going to be one of the busiest days we've had this year due to all of the reservations. There are four large parties, numerous anniversary reservations, and one reservation with specific requests for a proposal." Misaki stopped to catch her breath, having rambled on in her panic.

"And so that leads me to the favor. Rin-kun, would you please help cook at my grandmother's restaurant?" Misaki bowed low, her hands clenched tightly in front of her.

Hanako and Minami gaped in surprise. Misaki **never** asked for help, especially from people she didn't know very well. She didn't even let them help as servers because they were "not experienced or properly trained." Was she really that desperate for help today?

Something clicked in their minds and the sisters threw a proud, knowing smile at each other. Misaki really was trying to change. So, they decided to give a 'small' push.

"Come on Rin-kun! Just agree already! You've got a pretty girl asking you to cook for her!"

"Surely you wouldn't so cruelly reject Misaki in her time of need."

"The fact that she's even _**asking**_ for your help is an honor. She **never **asks for help! Never ever!"

"Not even we, her close friends, have been asked for help. You should be _**honored**_. And to get a chance to work at such a highly rated five-star restaurant without being a professional is an even greater honor."

"Of course, you'll have to get Granny's approval first. Though I'm sure Misa-chan was gonna tell you that beforehand."

"Be warned. Himawari-san is a very meticulous food critic. However, that _**is**_ expected of one who runs a five-star restaurant."

By this point, both Rin and Misaki were red-faced. "Stop it, you two! Y-you're scaring Rin-kun!" Misaki shouted. Everyone could tell she was really trying to stop them from further embarrassing her, not Rin. "I-in any case, will you please do me this favor, Rin-kun?"

"Didn't I just tell you I'd be there for you if you ever needed help?" Rin asked sarcastically, though he couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. "Of course I'll help!" His face was still rather pink, but his eyes shined with sincerity.

Misaki bowed again. "Thank you so much, Rin-kun. My grandmother and I are very grateful. Now, I really must get this room clean quickly. The car will be arriving soon." She immediately started moving about the room, snatching trash up at a rapid pace.

"Misa-chan, just take Rin-kun and go!" Hanako grabbed Rin's collar with one hand and pushed Misaki towards the exit with the other.

"We can take care of your cleaning duty. The management of the restaurant is a far more pressing matter," Minami urged.

Misaki dug her heels into the floor and turned back towards the group. "Absolutely not," she protested. "This is my responsibility. I organized this event, so I must clean up after it. I will not simply shove my responsibility on others."

Hanako sighed and let go of Rin's collar, causing the boy to fall to the ground gasping for air. "Whatever, oh noble Misa-chan. You're just too stubborn to argue with."

"… So all you have to do is prepare a quick meal for grandmother to sample. If you get her approval, you can help out. I assure you that it is not as easy as it sounds. As Hanako-chan said, my grandmother is a very refined food critic. I suggest you prepare something that you feel particularly confident about," Misaki said. "I'll have to leave you with my grandmother while I get changed into my work clothes and help the other workers prepare for the day, but I'll be there as soon as I finish. What happens after that will depend on my grandmother's verdict. Do you have any questions?"

Rin shook his head, a determined gleam in his eyes. He was already thinking about what to make to impress someone who could possibly be a tougher critic than Ucobach. This was a cooking challenge he was looking for.

Rin didn't have much time to think, however, because they arrived shortly after Misaki finished speaking and he was rushed inside. From the brief glance he got of the outside of the restaurant, he could already tell it was high-class. Inside, the feeling of awe only increased. Marble floors, huge crystal chandeliers, a large sea of decorated tables were a few of the amazing decor he saw at first glance.

Misaki regained his attention when she tugged him up one of the elaborate staircases to the fourth floor. "My grandmother's office is the room in the back. Just go straight down this hall. It'll be the only door at the very end. She's expecting you, but knock before you enter. I'll probably be back by the time you finish." She was gone before he could say anything.

As Rin approached the office, an embarrassing thought crossed his mind. '_I've only known her for a few weeks and I'm already meeting her family._' Now even more nervous, Rin awkwardly adjusted his school tie and knocked.

"Come in." The voice was stern and commanding. The authority it held was **very** intimidating. And that was saying something considering the monsters he'd encountered as an exorcist-in-training.

Slowly, the raven-haired teen pushed open the large oak door and entered. The office looked nothing like he had expected; it was very plain in comparison to the restaurant and hallway he had just passed through. The floor was covered with a cream carpet that contrasted nicely with the gold-accented burgundy walls. There was a table on the right side of the room with various ingredients, cooking supplies, and appliances on it. In front of him there was a large wooden desk and chair where Misaki's grandmother sat and two large chests on the floor beside the desk. Behind the desk, there was a medium-sized window that overlooked the city. Despite being the next city over, Rin could still see the outline of True Cross Academy in the distance.

Then, his eyes turned to the elderly woman before him. She wore a simple lavender kimono with faint green flowers. Her face seemed youthful, with very few traces of wrinkles. Her graying hair, styled into a tight bun, was the only sign of her age. Stern chocolate brown eyes were focused on him as he took in his surroundings.

"You are the boy Misaki recommended, yes? The one named Okumura Rin?" The question sounded more like a statement, but Rin nodded anyways, surprised that she knew his name. He didn't hear Misaki tell her on the phone earlier.

Seeing Rin's surprised expression, the Himawari elder explained. "Misaki sent me a text when you arrived to inform me about you. Your name is very familiar. I'm assuming that you must be one of the children Shiro took in." She stood and made her way towards Rin. "Putting that aside for now, allow me to introduce myself. I am Himawari Kaede, Misaki's grandmother and the proprietor of this restaurant." The kimono-clad woman bowed slightly. Rin scrambled to copy the motion after a moment of confusion.

"Misaki told me that she has already explained what you are to do. However, I neglected to tell her that I added an extra task. Not only are you to prepare a dish of your choice, but also a Teppanyaki dish using Kobe beef. [1] As it is a difficult dish to prepare, I have provided instructions for you on the table. This dish is one that, should you pass my test, you will be preparing repeatedly throughout the day. Many of the customers that made reservations had ordered their meals at that time and this dish is common among all of the pre-orders. So, it is imperative that this dish is particularly delicious." The woman motioned towards the table of supplies. "You have forty minutes to prepare both dishes. You may begin."

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><p>[1] Teppanyaki is a style of Japanese cuisine that is cooked using an iron griddle. Kobe beef is a very expensive, highly prized meat.<p> 


	10. Resolve

**A/N**: I made a banner for this fanfic. It's on my profile page. Also, I changed the little pic for the fanfic. It is now a pic of Misaki (as seen better in the banner). It also features (a rather poorly edited) Shadow!

* * *

><p>Tap tap.<br>_  
>There was a knock at the door and a brief pause before the door was slowly pushed open. <em>

"_Grandmother, I'm here. Have you made your decision?" Misaki asked, moving to stand right next to Rin. Said boy anxiously watched the famed food critic take small bites of the dishes he had prepared quicker than she had expected._

_The elder Himawara woman nodded, setting down the fork and turning to face the teens. "Take him to the kitchen and tell Miyazawa that he's in charge of Okumura."_

* * *

><p>Rin couldn't believe that he had just spent the day working as a chef for a famous five-star restaurant. He had been so busy preparing meals all day that the realization hadn't hit him until it was over.<p>

"Rin-kun!"

"Huh?" Rin blinked out of his daze, his eyes meeting Misaki's worried ones.

"Are you alright? I've been trying to get your attention for a while now."

Rin's face turned red when he realized he had been staring at her this whole time. "S-sorry. I'm fine. What were you saying?"

Misaki gave him a look that said she didn't believe him, but repeated herself anyways. "I said that I'm going in the staff room to thank everyone for their hard work today. You can have a seat in the waiting area until I return." Misaki pointed to the lobby they had passed through near the entrance earlier in the day. "I'll be right back."

As Rin watched her disappear around the corner, he decided that he really liked the uniform Misaki was wearing. The pristine, long-sleeved white blouse with ruffles on the chest and sleeve cuffs was neatly tucked into a black, high-waisted skirt. The skirt fit snugly around her waist and hips then flowed down to her knees. Her black leggings had a slimming effect on her legs and the black Mary Janes she wore completed the look. The elegant uniform certainly reflected Misaki's personality, what with her polite speech and mannerisms. Rin supposed that she was raised to be very lady-like.

A heavy sigh pulled Rin from his thoughts just as Misaki all but collapsed on the couch right next to the armchair he sat in. "My feet are killing me," she groaned, stretching and rubbing at her shoulders.

Rin had no doubt about that. Just _**watching**_ Misaki dash from table to table and back and forth from the kitchen tired him out. How she could do so for more than 12 hours straight without a break was beyond him. She hadn't even stopped to eat lunch or dinner. And now that he thought about it, she hadn't eaten breakfast either.

Before Rin could voice his concern and ask her if she wanted him to make her anything, she started speaking. "How was it working in the kitchen of a five-star restaurant, Rin-kun? It seemed like you were having fun with the other chefs whenever I was in there." She shifted to lie on her stomach, placing her crossed arms on the armrest and resting her head on top of them.

The very thought of his day made Rin's sapphire eyes sparkle with excitement. "It was amazing! I learned a lot from those guys and I got to make dishes with such high grade ingredients! I never thought I'd ever get to use Kobe beef in a dish in my life!" The encouraging smile Misaki gave him prompted Rin to continue excitedly voicing his experience.

"But you were really amazing out there, Misa-chan! You were practically flying from table to table! It was like you were that one waitress on rollerblades in that one movie you showed us last week!" He waved his arms around for emphasis. "You stayed up all night, but still came here to help! And even though you were probably tired, you didn't mess up any order or drop anything! You're a real pro!"

Rin then remembered that she had yet to eat anything. "Hey Misa-chan, you haven't eaten all day. Do you want me to make something for you?" A soft snore was his answer.

Misaki was sound asleep, her face nestled in her arms.

"Huh, she really was tired." Rin's gaze softened as he took in her sleeping form. It was the first time he got a chance to really look at her.

Rin noted that the light layer of makeup she had applied prior to escorting him to the kitchen earlier made her round face look older and more mature. However, some of it had rubbed off and no longer hid the dark circles starting to form around her eyes. Misaki's long eyelashes gently brushed her rosy cheeks. The corners of her parted lips were slightly upturned even in her sleep. Her normally straight hair was curled and brushed over her shoulder. Misaki's breathing was deep and relaxed, the muscles in her face and body unwinding from a long day of work.

Rin felt his face heat up at how close her peaceful, sleeping form was to him and debated whether or not he should wake her up. He knew that their driver was outside waiting to take them back to the school and that he should make her something to eat since she hadn't eaten anything at all today. However, he didn't want to wake her up from the only bit of rest she had gotten since the two nights ago.

Just as he decided it would be best to let her rest, someone behind him cleared their throat.

A surprised yelp escaped Rin's lips before he slapped a hand over his mouth and glanced back at Misaki. His shoulders dropped in relief when he saw that she was still fast asleep. He then turned his attention to the person behind him.

Kaede Himawari's steely gaze bore down on him. Before Rin could get a word out, the Himawari elder turned her attention to her granddaughter. "Take her out to the car."

Rin did as he was told immediately, lifting the sleeping girl into his arms and shifting her a bit until she was in a comfortable position. As he got into the car, he noticed that Misaki's grandmother was already sitting on one side. Gulping nervously, Rin took a seat and set Misaki down in the seat beside him, feeling the eyes that matched Misaki's watch his every move.

"Okumura."

"Yes, ma'am?" Rin tried to meet the woman's eyes, but the stern look she was giving him made it very difficult.

"What is my granddaughter to you?"

The question caught Rin completely off guard. "W-what do you mean?"

It was clear that Kaede was not one for beating around the bush. "I mean exactly what I said. What is Misaki to you?"

Now that Rin actually thought about it, he wasn't exactly sure of their relationship himself. They hadn't known each other for very long, but he already saw Misaki as a very good friend. However, he didn't know what she thought about him. She was very open and relaxed when she was around Minami and Hanako. On the other hand, when she was around him, his friends, or anyone other than Minami and Hanako, she was slightly more withdrawn and even seemed a bit cautious. She always gave them a hesitant smile and usually sat further back with her two friends instead of immersing herself in their group. As Rin thought about it, Misaki seemed to be uncomfortable whenever she was around them.

And then there was the matter with the Valentine's chocolate. Rin turned pink when he thought about what a girl giving a guy chocolate meant under normal circumstances. He shook his head at the thought_._

"Well?"

Rin jumped in his seat. He had forgotten what had gotten him onto that train of thought. "I'm… not really sure."

Kaede's brow furrowed at the answer. "You are unsure?"

Rin nodded. "I'd like to say that she's a friend and a classmate, but at the same time, it feels like she's more than that." He then realized what he sounded like he was saying. "N-not that I think of her as a girlfriend or anything! I mean, she's a nice girl but— Wait! I don't mean it like that! There's nothing wrong with her or anything!" Rin decided to just stop while he still had the chance.

"You are unsure of your relationship with Misaki because you know nothing of how she views this relationship. Is that correct?"

Rin's eyes lowered and he nodded. "I don't want to force her into a friendship or anything if that's not what she wants. Misaki is a really nice person and I really want to be there for her, but I can't if she won't let me. She did rely on me today, but I was probably just a last resort. I told her I'd be there for her if she needs me, but I don't think she really believes me."

Kaede's gaze stayed on the boy for a little while longer before focusing on the large building on the other side of the window. "Misaki has gone through so much for someone so young. I'm sure that one day she will tell you about them if you can gain her trust. She simply needs someone to reach out to her and pull her out of the lonely world she has forced herself to stay in. That is something at that even I cannot do. I leave you with this bit of advice, Okumura Rin: do not give up on her."

For the first time the entire ride, Rin met the woman's gaze.

"I won't."


	11. Nightmares

"Misa-chan!"

"Hmmm?"

The Yamada sisters exchanged worried glances. "Misaki-chan," Minami started cautiously, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder, "does your unusual absent-mindedness have to do with lack of sleep?"

"Lack of sleep? What do you mean?" Misaki blinked, feigning innocence and resisting the urge to yawn.

Hanako got up from her spot and moved to stand in front of Misaki. She bent over so that she was right in Misaki's face, looking directly into Misaki's eyes. "Misa-chan, you suck at lying so stop pretending. Mimi-chan told me that you've been waking up in the middle of the night from nightmares for the past few weeks."

The brown-haired girl turned her gaze to Minami, who stared back with a serious expression. "None of your nightmares before have ever lasted this long. We're worried that something is really bothering you. You can tell us."

Misaki sighed and closed her eyes. "I understand that you both are worried about me, but I assure you that nothing is wrong. I admit that I've been having nightmares. It is true that this particular nightmare is persistent, but it will go away, just as the others have over time."

Hanako was not happy with that answer. "But Misa-chan, it's not even close to the anniversary yet! That's **always** been the time when you have nightmares! And even then—"

"Hanako!"

With Minami's sudden shout, Hanako realized that she mentioned a taboo topic and hastily apologized. Both girls saw the pain that briefly flashed through Misaki's eyes before she recovered her composure.

"Just… don't worry about it. I just have to put up with them for now. They'll go away soon. They always go away. So don't worry. You know how much I don't like worrying people."

"Too bad you always seem to worry us anyway," Hanako teased. She pounced, tackling Misaki to the ground, and tickled her sides. "Now tell Mama Hana all about this nightmare!"

"S-stop it! Hanako-chan!" Misaki squealed and squirmed, trying to escape but failing. Tears were pooling in the corners of her eyes. This went on for a few minutes until Hanako finally stopped, knowing from experience that Misaki wasn't going to give in.

"Feeling better now?" Minami inquired, rather amused at Hanako's method.

Misaki clambered to her feet and took a second to catch her breath. She moved to stand before her two friends and pulled them into a hug. "Thank you. You both really are such great friends. What would I do without you?"

Hanako, being Hanako, just had to kill the moment. "You'd probably be a sheltered brat without the amazing worldly experiences I continue to give you and the street smarts I taught you."

"And you probably would still have trouble staying organized and keeping up with your busy schedule without my guidance," Minami continued, piggybacking off of Hanako's argument.

"I am most definitely getting Shadow to pay you two back for that," Misaki deadpanned, pulling away from the hug.

Hanako and Minami glanced at each other, seeming to have just noticed the dog's absence. "By the way, where _**is**_ Shadow?"

Misaki plopped down on her bed, shifting around until she was comfortable. "Grandmother picked him up this morning. She said she was taking him to the vet for a checkup. She'll bring him back by dinner." Misaki sighed, placing her chin on her open palm. "It always feels so weird when Shadow's gone. We've been together for so long that everything just feels off when he's not with me."

Hanako perked up, knowing just what to do. The war cry that she let out startled the other two girls. "GIRLS' DAY OUT! IT'S SHOPPING TIME! LET'S GO!" [1]

Misaki and Minami didn't have a chance to escape before Hanako dragged them out the door to their doom.

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><p>[1] Ended up adding this because I started to rewatch Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers not to long ago. xD<p> 


	12. Invitation

Misaki pressed her head against a window. Her head was pounding with a throbbing headache, but the coolness of the glass helped ease the pain. She sighed, both in relief and annoyance. This wasn't the best of starts to the new school year. Barely a few days into the first week of school and she already had to take a sick day.

The brown-haired girl reached for the drawer of her bedside table, retrieving the box within it. She plucked out a piece of white chocolate, one of the few remaining pieces of chocolate she received from Rin on White Day. [1]

Misaki chuckled at the memory. Rin's face was bright red when he presented her the box of chocolates. She felt bad for laughing, but she assured the poor boy that she very much appreciated the gift. After trying a piece, she insisted that it was the best chocolate she'd ever had. Her adamant and enthusiastic reply only made Rin's face turn scarlet.

A knock on the door pulled her gaze away from the box. Before Misaki could move to get up, Shadow was already on it.

The dog jumped up from his spot beside Misaki. He bounded over to the table beside the door, leaping onto the chair beside it and then onto the table itself. The muscles in his legs tensed for a moment as he crouched. After a second of gauging the distance, he pounced and landed on the doorknob, turning it with his weight. He let go when the door clicked open and safely landed on the ground.

Misaki giggled at the dog's antics and thanked him as their guests slowly opened the door and peeked in. "Ah, hello Rin-kun, Moriyama-san. What brings you here?" She held her arms open for Shadow, who cuddled against her once more.

Shiemi was the first to speak up. "I heard that you couldn't go to class because you were sick, so I made some herbal soup for you. Please accept it!" The girl bowed and offered the container.

Misaki bowed slightly in return as she took the container with both hands. "Thank you Moriyama-san. Your concern and soup are greatly appreciated. Truthfully, I'm not so much sick as I am simply suffering from a mild case of over-exhaustion. I _was _going to attend classes today; however, Hanako-chan and Minami-chan forced me to stay in bed. It seems Shadow feels the same since he is doing everything for me." Said dog nuzzled her arm and barked in response.

Seeing the sparkle in the blonde girl's eyes, Misaki opened the container and sampled a bit for the girl with the spoon provided. She saw the worried gaze on Rin's face as she did so and understood shortly after. A strong, bitter taste assaulted her tongue. It was strong enough to make her want to gag, but with practiced grace, Misaki swallowed without a flinch and smiled. "It has a very unique taste. I'm feeling better already." It wasn't exactly a lie; the soup's taste was strong enough to pull her mind away from the pain of the headache. "I'll be sure to finish the rest with the meal Minami-chan is bringing me for lunch."

Rin had an amazed look on his face from Misaki's composure after tasting Shiemi's dangerous cooking. His respect for the brown-haired girl definitely increased with the simple action. He shook his head and refocused on their other objective. "We actually came here for another reason though. You know the hanami festival is next weekend, right?" [2]

When Misaki nodded, Shiemi continued. "We wanted to invite you to go with our group if you're feeling better by then. Minami-chan and Hanako-chan are invited to come as well, of course."

Misaki nodded again. "Thank you for inviting me. I'll gladly accept your offer. However, Hanako-chan and Minami-chan will be going separately with their boyfriends. I was originally going to go with Shadow as my date, as I usually do."

"Well now you've got a big group of friends to go with." Rin grinned, happy with how easily you accepted their offer. "You'll have lots of fun."

The brown-eyed girl smiled at the thought. Never did Misaki think she would have as many people as she did that considered her a friend. She had always isolated herself, afraid of making connections with others and getting attached. She had always believed that the fewer people there were that associated with her, the better off she would be. _'Maybe, just maybe, making these connections will be well worth the risk.'  
><em>

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><p>[1] White Day takes place on March 14th. It's sorta like Valentine's Day, but reverse. In Japan, Valentine's Day is for girls out to give chocolate. So White Day, the boys that received chocolate give back to the girls. That's the super basic explanation.<p>

[2] Hanami is flower viewing, typically of cherry blossoms (sakura). The festivals that are held are dependent on when the flowers actually bloom, as early as January until May. Cherry blossom season will start at True Cross Academy at the end of March to the beginning of April.


	13. Games

**A/N**: New chapter~! Why? Because it's Rin and Yukio's birthday~!

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><p>"There. All done. What do you think?" Misaki handed a mirror to Shiemi.<p>

Shiemi's hair was pulled up into a bun. A single decorative hair stick slid through to hold it in place, a small chain of colorful flowers dangling at the end. Her bangs and some strands of her longer hair were left down and framed her face. She wore a pretty pale green yukata dotted with light pink chrysanthemums and a yellow obi. Misaki had tried to offer the girl one of her kanzashi, but Shiemi adamantly refused, saying that such a beautiful hair ornament was wasted on her. [1]

"I love it! Thank you so much, Misaki-chan!" Shiemi handed the mirror back and glanced up at the brown-hair girl, taking note of her hair and tied obi. "I guess you don't need my help getting ready."

Misaki's long hair was pulled into a braided bun with an icy blue wisteria kanzashi holding it in place. Much like Shiemi, a few strands of her hair remained loose to frame her face, brushing gently against her chest. She wore a dark blue yukata accented with light blue wisterias and a pale blue obi.

"I'm sorry. Hanako-chan and Minami-chan assisted me before they left to meet their dates." Misaki smiled sheepishly. "We should leave as well if we are to meet the others on time."

Shiemi glanced at the clock and leapt up from her seat. "Oh! I didn't realize I took so long to get ready. I'm sorry."

Misaki assured the girl that it was no trouble. She glanced around to see if they were forgetting anything. A nudge at her legs caught her attention. Shadow held both girls' purses gently in his mouth, having retrieved them from the bed. "Thank you Shadow," she said, handing Shiemi her pink purse before checking inside her white one for her possessions. Once everything was set, the two left at once.

"Let's try this booth next!"

Ever since the girls had met up with the group, Shiemi had been excitedly dragging Misaki to every stand, trying her hand at every game she could and goading Misaki to do the same. Misaki would politely turn down the offer each time. However, she surprised everyone by accepting the offer this time.

"Alright, little miss, you just need to knock down a prize to win it. You get three shots. If you manage to knock down the two objects here, you get to win one of the bigger prizes on display," the person running the stand explained, loading the cork gun and handing it to Misaki.

"Did you want any prize in particular here, Moriyama-san?" Misaki asked, getting a feel for the toy shotgun in her hands.

Shiemi frantically waved her hands in front of her. "Don't worry about me. Get a prize that you want. You don't have to waste your money on me."

"Trust me, Moriyama-san, it's not a waste. I would've played this game regardless of whether I desired a prize or not," Misaki confessed. "However, as I do not have any particular desire for these prizes, I'd like to get one for you. You may think of it as a thank you gift for inviting me if it so pleases you."

Having no means to argue further, Shiemi blushed and pointed at one of the prizes perched above the booth. "B-but you have to knock over those two really thin blocks to get those prizes, so don't worry about not getting it. Any other prize would be fine."

"Worry not, Moriyama-san," Misaki started. Not even a moment later, she aimed and shot, knocking over the first block. Misaki easily reloaded the gun, aimed, and knocked over the second block. With her third shot, she knocked over a random prize that she thought Shadow would like. With that, she placed the gun back in its rightful place and turned to smile at the bewildered group. "I don't wish to brag, but I'm rather good at this game."

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><p>[1] A kanzashi is a decorative hair ornament.<p> 


	14. Make it stop

**A/N: **Hey everyone, I think that, due to the violent contents of this chapter, I will be raising the rating to M. The violence in this chapter isn't particularly graphic, but I'm still raising the rating just to be safe.

Also, updates after this will be a longer while than normal (as if they weren't long already). I have lots of things I have to do for school, summer classes, my clubs, and preparing for the numerous anime conventions I am going to (making more than 3 different cosplays and my groups' props). Please bear with me.

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><p>Misaki awoke with a start, eyes wide and lungs straining to take in as much air as she could. Shadow shifted on the pillow next to the startled girl, letting out a quiet whine to voice his concern as he nudged his nose against her hand.<p>

_A young girl woke up to the sounds of screaming and heavy footsteps. Curious as to what was happening so late at night, the child crawled out of her large bed and cracked the door open a sliver._

Misaki took another minute to regain enough of her composure to calm her breathing and respond. "I'm fine. I just... need some air. I'll be back. Go back to sleep, Shadow." She silently crept across and exited the room, closing the door before Shadow could follow her out.

_Something splattered into her eyes as soon as the door cracked open. She winced and immediately rose a hand to wipe the offending liquid from her face, a loud 'thump' reaching her ears as she did. The girl wrinkled her nose at the strong scent of iron that invaded her senses. A sticky red substance smudged on her tiny hand._

The girl's bare feet clapped against the cold linoleum floor as she walked. The tips of her fingers brushed gently along the wall, guiding her along the dark hallway. The silence of the girls' dormitory was only broken by the creaking of the building and the high-pitched whistle of strong winds rushing past the windows. Slowly, her eyes adjusted to the darkness as she approached her destination.

_The child's eyes widened at the sight of her mother lying lifeless before her._

Misaki pushed open the door to her floor's girls' restroom, locking the door behind her. The restroom was hardly used, as each dorm room had its own built-in bathroom, making it a good place for Misaki to be alone. She locked the door behind her just in case.

_A low grunt took the girl's attention away from her mother's corpse. Just down the hall, she caught a glimpse of her father with a broken strip of wood in his hands holding back another man, one with crazed, wide eyes. "Father!"_

The girl made her way to the large stall at the end, pressing her back against the cool wall in the corner and sliding down to sit on the floor. She ran one hand through her messy brown locks. Her other hand lazily rose up and rubbed at her tired, achy eyes.

_"Misaki! Get away from here! Run away!"_

The girl flinched as the intruder's head snapped in her direction, his bloodshot eyes meeting her terrified brown ones. He let out a shriek-like cackle and lunged for her.

"Misaki!"

The girl's father rushed over and shoved the demented man away. He leapt back immediately after as claw-like nails slashed at him, narrowly missing his face. Without hesitation, he thrust the sharp end of the broken wooden dowel through the intruder's chest.

Heavy sobs racked the brown-haired girl's trembling body. She lifted a hand to stifle her sobs as tears started overflow, stinging her reddening eyes.

_Misaki's father breathed heavily and leaned against the wooden dowel. After taking a moment to catch his breath, he kneeled in front of his trembling child. "You're okay now, Misaki. That man can't hurt you anymore," he said, his deep and gentle voice slowly calming the girl._

Misaki's eyes shut tightly as she rested her forehead against her knees and her hands pressed forcefully against her ears. She tried to block out the shouts of her father that rang in her ears. The suffocating metallic stench that made her stomach churn. The crimson that painted her mind. The damp and sticky sensation of the sanguine substance that stained her skin.

_Blood splattered everywhere, followed by a muted 'thump'. Her father's headless corpse fell forward, knocking the child over and trapping her beneath its weight. The crazed intruder stood before Misaki, the wooden dowel still shoved through his chest as he cackled once again._

A breathy whisper passed Misaki's lips.

"Make it stop…"

_The child's scream echoed in the blood-stained house._


	15. Breakdown

**A/N**: Wow... it's been way too long. Really sorry about that. It's been a pretty rough school year for me. I had this chapter ready 4 months ago, but life got in the way. I hope to have at least one more chapter ready and posted by the end of the year. I'll try my hardest!

Also, shout-out to my first flamer for that lovely flame! Love you too, dearest not-my-friend~! ^_^

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><p>"Misaki," Minami called.<p>

The brown-haired girl swirled the can of milk tea, staring blankly at the fence beyond the can.

"Misaki?"

The girl rubbed tiredly at her eye with her free hand.

"Misaki!"

A yawn.

"MISAKI!" Hanako all but shrieked.

Misaki jumped, the can falling from her grip and spilling onto her skirt. "Kya!" She immediately stood and wiped the liquid off of her skirt with a handkerchief.

Minami handed Misaki spare napkins and took the now empty can away. "You have been less attentive since last weekend. You're worrying us, Misaki. Even our teachers have noticed and asked us what was wrong with you."

"Yeah! Even Yuki-onna-sensei! And we all know how well she lives up to that nickname," Hanako chipped in, shivering at the thought of the teacher's icy glare. [1]

Shadow also showed his concern, nudging his muzzle into Misaki's free hand.

Misaki was both glad and mildly annoyed that she decided to eat lunch without Rin's group today. On one hand, only her close friends saw that embarrassing fumble; on the other hand, she knew that they were going to bring this up as soon as they were alone.

The brown-haired girl knew she wasn't going to get out of this one and didn't bother avoiding their question. "I know I usually start having these nightmares… a couple months from now but…" She took a deep, shuddery breath to try to keep herself calm as images of the nightmare pushed to the front of her mind. "But they… aren't going away. I-I think they're getting worse actually. When I wake up after having them, I feel like that terrified little girl again.

"I thought I was getting better. The nightmares were coming less frequently until they only happened the week of the anniversary. And even then, they were never this bad. They haven't been this bad since the first year after it happened. I thought I could take control of my life and finally break free from this; I thought I was **stronger** than this. But I'm not. I don't know what I should do!" Misaki cried, her voice cracking as the barriers she worked hard to maintain momentarily lowered in her distress. She managed to keep her tears and sobs at bay, but the other three saw the effort she gave to maintain as much composure as she had.

Minami and Hanako immediately pulled the girl into a hug, resting their heads against the top of Misaki's. Shadow leapt up and nuzzled his head into her chest. The three were silent as Misaki lost her composure and let everything out. They knew Misaki didn't want to show her weakness to anyone; they knew that her simply displaying this outburst of emotion to them showed how much she trusted them.

The sisters gave each other a sad look. There was nothing they could do to help their friend. They couldn't understand neither the pain she felt nor the fear that suffocated her; they never felt the losses she suffered. They could do nothing but hold her close as she cried out and suffered alone.

Only Shadow noticed the figure standing behind the door, hand up to knock but stunned into silence at what he accidentally overheard. Instead of chasing the boy away as he usually would, Shadow allowed the blue-eyed boy to stay. He thought it would be best for Misaki that Rin knew. If anyone could help her, it was Rin.

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><p>[1] Yuki-onna translates to snow woman. It is a spirityokai in Japanese mythology that wanders during snowy nights and preys on travelers. There are various stories about them, but overall a yuki-onna is beautiful yet ruthless. When a person is called a yuki-onna, it's typically because they have a cold personality. Sensei is the honorific for a teacher/mentor.


End file.
